“I don’t think this younger generation probably understands what I was doing in the past… Please do not reinvent that particular wheel,” she said. “We’ve been there, done that, some of these things don’t work. You may need to go back to basics.”

Although she didn’t single out specific royals, her comments were widely seen in the context of debates around a streamlined monarchy supported by King Charles and, at the time, Prince William. They also followed Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s decision to step back from royal duties and move to the US.

Steadfast dedication

Even as she considers her long-term future, Anne continues to balance hundreds of patronages and military affiliations. Her no-nonsense approach has often drawn comparisons with Prince Philip, reflecting both her loyalty to duty and her reluctance to indulge in new royal “experiments.”

For now, the Princess Royal remains one of the monarchy’s most reliable figures — and, true to form, she shows little interest in softening her message to the generations that will follow her.